Coming with spacious interiors, excellent ride quality, and loads of cargo room, the 2016 GMC Acadia is great for people looking for affordable luxury. There have been some common issues with the car and that is a total of 71 complaints and 3 recalls this year alone. The main problems are associated with the transmission, steering, and air-conditioning system. The manufacturer seems very committed and tried to follow it up with adequate recalls. The Acadia is slightly more expensive than its competition, with a starting price of an MSRP of $31,995. It competes against the Chevrolet Traverse, the Ford Expedition, and the Toyota Highlander. Let us find out more about GMC Acadia problems through this article.
2016 GMC Acadia User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical problems:
- Multiple cars have stalled and switched off completely on their own, often starting back up, although not in all cases. Sometimes it vibrates to a stop.
- There have been a few complaints about the engine seizing due to low oil pressure. Even with oil life monitoring, this happens.
- In some cars, the air conditioning hose rubs against the engine frame and melts because of the heat. The air-conditioning system is a general problem area and the starting signal for this problem is that the vents start blowing hot air. Unfortunately, there is no GMC Acadia air conditioner recall yet.
- GMC Acadia transmission problems are one of the worst issues with this car. The torque converter can lock up and the car will stop shifting altogether. It might start as a small hesitation when shifting but the clutch can fail. Stalling and vibrating can also occur. On this occasion, the car is often not able to stop in Park and will roll away.
- The brake system of the car has also produced faults like a clunk noise as well as some resistance felt in the brake pedal. Brake booster failures have also resulted in the car completely not responding to driver input.
- The steering wheel produces noises while turning and also has a reduced power steering assistance. It is one of the most common issues with the car and requires the replacement of the steering gear assembly or power steering pump.
- Many owners have experienced problems with jerking, gears refusing to shift, and other problems that arise from the transmission.
- A few owners have suffered from tire blowouts but GMC has addressed this through a recall.
Electrical system problems:
- The driver’s-side seat control panel is prone to get detached without warning. Even if it is replaced, the issue can recur. The window motors are also prone to failure.
- The electronic liftgate is prone to failure and will open and close on its own. GMC Acadia power liftgate problems have affected a lot of cars.
- The traction control as well as the stability control is known to be intrusive and can kick in without warning, reducing the speed of the car greatly.
- Several cars have also had the issue of the key getting stuck in the ignition and draining out the electrical system. The failure occurs due to the car not recognizing that it is in Park.
- The car is prone to GMC Acadia electrical issues such as airbags, ignition, blinkers, backup camera, front crash detection, and so on.
Safety problems:
- In one case, the airbag deployed without any impact. Other owners have gotten airbag-related warnings.
- The side detection system is one that is prone to failure. Since it is safety features, it can be dangerous. It is also one of the most common problems arising in these cars.
- One complainant stated that the driver-side seat belt will not latch on until the process is repeated a few times and a squeaking noise appears while driving. And when it does, it is often hard to come undone. The latch can also break.
2016 GMC Acadia Recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA Campaign Number |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
April 8, 2021 |
21V246000 |
Side curtain airbags may be unsecured |
The side curtain airbags may not have proper attachment and hence will fail to operate as designed |
Dealers will realign our replace the weld nuts as necessary |
|
2 |
December 11, 2015 |
15V833000 |
Third row seat frame can be incorrectly welded |
The seat frame being incorrectly welded will prevent securing the passenger in the event of a crash. |
Dealers will inspect and replace the third row left side lower seat frame as necessary |
|
3 |
September 29, 2015 |
15V609000 |
Front windshield wiper motor can overheat |
The windshield wiper motor can overheat during operation and affect its functioning. |
Dealers and replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly |
Should you buy the 2016 GMC Acadia?
The GMC Acadia is a decent car and does not have a large list of complaints. Its reliability can only be termed as not bad because the complaints have affected previous model years and the brand has not been able to fix any of them so far. Still, for a GMC, this is as good as it gets. However, even next to its competitors, being a car with several strengths, we would recommend it. It is due for a generation update very soon.
